Page 64 of The Dark Lord Awakens
Azrael would serve perfectly, as always.
But he would keep his blade sharp, just in case.
And perhaps, just perhaps, he would allow himself to hope for something he had never dared hope for before.
Not just the perfect servant to a perfect master.
But something more.
Something he had no name for, had no experience with, had no right to desire.
Something that made the thought of tomorrow’s dawn—of seeing Lucien again, of being in his presence, of serving his new vision—almost unbearably sweet.
16
Lucien/Beau
Iwoke up feeling absurdly refreshed, which was definitely not normal for me. Back in my old life, I’d need at least three alarms and the existential dread of losing my job to drag myself out of bed before noon. But here, in this magical dark lord body, I was wide awake at what felt like an ungodly early hour, my mind clear and energized.
The moment my eyes opened, I spotted a tall, dark figure standing perfectly still at the foot of my bed.
“Holy sh—!” I bolted upright, clutching the silken sheets to my chest like a Victorian maiden protecting her virtue.
Azrael immediately dropped to one knee, head bowed. “Good morning, my lord. I trust you slept well.”
My heart rate gradually returned to something resembling normal. “Azrael. How long have you been standing there?”
“I arrived precisely at dawn to attend to your morning preparations, my lord.”
“Dawn.” I glanced toward the window, where early morning light filtered through heavy curtains. “And you’ve been… standing there? Watching me sleep?”
“I would never presume to disturb your rest, my lord. I merely ensured your chamber remained secure while awaiting your awakening.”
That wasn’t exactly a denial. Had my demon butler been watching me drool on my pillow? The thought sent a shiver down my spine. There was devotion, and then there was whatever this was—something that would probably get you a restraining order and a stern talking-to from HR in the human world.
“Right. Well, in the future, maybe just… knock when it’s time to get up? Instead of the whole creepy stalker routine?”
Azrael’s brow furrowed slightly. “Stalker, my lord?”
“Never mind.” I stretched, surprised again by how good I felt. “So what’s on the agenda today? More camp stuff?”
Azrael rose gracefully to his feet. “Indeed, my lord. After your bath and breakfast, you have a strategic planning meeting with the department heads to discuss long-term improvements for the realm. Following that, your presence is expected at the relief camp, where the new bathing facilities will be inaugurated today.”
“Bathing facilities. Right.” I swung my legs over the side of the bed. “Can’t have thirty-seven thousand demons getting funky. So, breakfast first?”
“I shall have it prepared while you bathe, my lord. Would you prefer the usual selection of traditional Iferona delicacies, or perhaps some of the void provisions?”
The “traditional Iferona delicacies” I’d seen so far included things like blood pudding (actual pudding made from actual blood), shadow-fungus omelets, and some kind of jellied meat that still pulsated when you cut into it. Hard pass.
“Void provisions, definitely. And make it substantial—I’m starving. Something with eggs, meat, pancakes, the works. My stomach feels like it’s trying to digest itself.”
“Of course, my lord. I shall arrange a feast worthy of your appetite.”
Azrael bowed and retreated to the bathing chamber, where I could hear water beginning to flow. I took a moment to reflect on yesterday’s event and the camp, the images still vivid in my mind. Thousands of gaunt, desperate demons huddled in makeshift shelters, eyes hollow with hunger. The goblin refugees, forest elves, and cave dwarves driven from their homes by whatever lurked in the Howling Forest. Healer 47’s frantic efforts to save the most critical cases with limited supplies.
At least the void provisions were making a difference. The look on their faces when they tasted real food—actual nutritious meals instead of whatever shadow-fungus gruel they’d been surviving on—had been worth every OpenToken spent. And today they’d get proper bathing facilities. It was a small step, but an important one. Hard to rebuild a society when everyone’s starving and filthy.
I still couldn’t wrap my head around the scale of it all. Nearly forty thousand citizens, plus refugees, all depending on me—some random guy who’d been hit by a truck and woken up as their dark lord. Talk about being thrown into the deep end without swimming lessons.
